"If you’re drinking large amounts of alcohol, probably, you’re damaging the blood vessels and maybe that’s leading to some of these problems. We know that people who consume lots of alcohol develop things like high blood pressure. They are at higher risk for developing heart attacks and stroke," said Dr. Robert Krasuski, of the Cleveland Clinic.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago looked at two groups of healthy, non-smoking college students. One group had a history of binge drinking. The other abstained from alcohol.

Results show the binge drinkers had impaired function in two main cell types that control blood flow, which can lead to heart disease.

These vascular changes are similar to impairment found in people with a lifetime history of daily, heavy alcohol use.

Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a two-hour period for males, or four or more drinks in a two-hour period for females.

Researchers said college students should understand the potential consequences of binge drinking patterns.

“Alcohol is there. It may have a helpful effect on the heart, especially when it’s consumed in smaller amounts. It's something to be used in moderation and something to be used with care and it’s something not to be overused. I think when you really drink too much- bad things happen," Krasuski said.

Complete findings for the study are in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzkokhar Tsarnaev rested their case in his federal death penalty trial Tuesday after presenting a brief case aimed at showing his late older brother was the mastermind of the 2013 terror attack.